Homeland, My Homeland
by FM Jacquet
Summary: CE 81. Ten years have passed since ZAFT's victory in the war. Phil Zavey is a talented but disillusioned homicide detective investigating an increasingly strange murder. Rated M for language. Please send me your input.
1. Introduction

It has been ten years since the war between the PLANTS and Earth ended with the success of Operation Spitbreak and invasion of North America. With its last spaceport in the hands of ZAFT, the Eurasian federation withdrew from the conflict, listening to the words of isolationists who had long argued against a war with ZAFT. A triumphant Patrick Zala declared final victory of North America and the Atlantic Federation in late CE 71. Eurasian troops withdrew from the frontlines and Admiral Halburton returned to Earth before being forced into a humiliating retirement.

In the years after the war, the nations of North America became part of Zala's empire of New America. Aprilius Auxilium, Zala's new capital, became a ZAFT showplace. His personal architects built a monument to his empire in the form of the largest buildings in human history, the new supreme council chambers.

With the close of the 70's, Zala was finally able to put a civilized face on his regime. However, news was still tightly controlled.

The 80's opened with the war against Blue Cosmos still raging. No longer a loose confederation of terrorists, the organization had grown into a well organized guerilla army, still led by the 45-year-old Murata Azrael. Zala desperately needed to conclude a formal peace with the Alliance to bring the conflict to an end.

Hope for changed arrived with the appointment of a new Alliance Prime Minister. Zala believed that under Cagalli Yula Attha, a proponent of cooperation, a deal could finally be struck. And so, in CE 81, the PLANTS finally opened their borders. For the first time, they welcomed tourists from Earth.

It is now June. The world press has been invited to Aprilius Auxilium for the celebration of the tenth anniversary of Operation Spitbreak. There are rumors that Prime Minister Attha will attend for a ZAFT-Alliance summit to discuss joining forces against Blue Cosmos. An Alliance with the Earth would make ZAFT invincible.

But there are other rumors, ones which could destroy Zala. There are rumors of atrocities that occurred to the war. However, they are seldom spoken of. In Zala's empire, all television and radio broadcasts are controlled by the powerful Ministry of Information.

In the new ZAFT, no one dares to ask awkward questions.


	2. Chapter I

Chapter I

Phil Zavey lay nestled in between the covers of his bed, completely oblivious to the world around him. It was Saturday morning. He didn't have to work today, and he was glad. The weather was supposed to be gray and rainy all throughout the week, and though he himself was a fan of rainy weather, it was not something he wanted to be out prodding corpses in. He turned over onto his side away from his nightstand and lay motionless for only a few seconds before the phone rang. He did nothing at first, then let it ring a second time before pulling the covers over his head in hopes that it would go away. When it rang a third time, he groaned and uncovered his head, turned over and fumbled around before his had hand came to grasp the phone. He slowly brought the receiver to his ear and spoke. "This is Zavey."

"Rise and shine Phil."

"Good morning, Dearka." he said groggily. On the other end of the line was his friend and fellow police officer, Dearka Elthman.

"Good morning, although you may not think so in a few seconds. We found a body in Glenn Park by the lake and we need you down here."

"It's my day off, can't you find someone else?" moaned the half-awake policeman.

"We tried, but the department is a bit tied up right now. The Securitate's been running our ass ragged."

"With what?" asked Phil in reply.

"Oh, the same old bullshit about rooting out dissident elements. They're pulling out regular officers to find possible threats for the upcoming celebration."

"They don't have the manpower to handle it themselves?"

"I'm not gonna' ask questions, it's much safer that way. Well, like I said, there's no one else."

"Alright, alright. I'll be down there as soon as possible."

"See ya' then." replied Dearka.

"Yeah. See ya'."

Zavey hung up the phone and swung his legs over to the edge of the bed. He yawned and rubbed his eyes, then sat for a few moments thinking as he watched the view from outside his apartment window. He was 27, a veteran soldier, and now an experienced homicide detective in the ZAFT military police, working on Aprilius Auxilium. He often thought it was something to be proud, an impressive resume for someone of his age. Then again, he also thought it may be too much for someone of his age. Wherever his feelings lay right now, they had to take a back seat to business. There was someone dead in the park, and he had to go help out. The officer hopped out of bed, yawned a second time, and then headed for his shower.

After a quick shower, Zavey put on his percolator and then walked over to his bedroom to put on his uniform. Military police wore the standard pattern ZAFT military uniform, but with several differences. Their tunics had open breast lapels with which they wore a tie, and they were issued cross straps with their belts that went over the right shoulder. They were also given peaked caps they were supposed to wear all the time. The colors for their uniforms were black for the shoulders, and dark, forest green for the body while the cap had a black crown and green peak. Their boots were also black. Zavey had just finished zipping up his when he heard the percolator finish dripping. He gathered his cap, briefcase, and pistol and went into the kitchen.

Pouring himself a cup of coffee, Zavey turned on the television that sat on the counter. He flipped to the news, having it come on just as the anchor was finishing another story.

"…_which leaves just little over a year until the project is completed. Of course the biggest news of the day is the upcoming celebration of the tenth anniversary of Operation Spit Break, the invasion of Panama which ultimately led to total victory for ZAFT in the Third World War. This celebration also marks the highly anticipated peacemaking visit from Prime Minister Athha of the Earth Alliance. Promising that she wishes to make peace between the PLANTS and Earth, she has agreed to work with our glorious leader Patrick Zala to finally put down Blue Cosmos. Through his inspiring leadership, the supreme councilmen…" _

"Ehhh," he moaned bitterly as he switched off the TV. He was wise enough to never publicly display his distaste for Zala, but he had to be careful. Sometimes his colleagues thought of him as being asocial and rather impudent. He finished his coffee, put on his cap and stepped out the door and proceeded to lock it. To his dismay, the phone rang just as he was about to step away. He shook his head and waited until the answering machine came on, then walked away without hearing who it was. _I'll check it when I get back _he thought.

After descending two flights of stairs, Zavey came to his exit. He stopped momentarily to check his mailbox before stepping out into the light rain. His police car was parked on the side of building, to which he walked slowly and deliberately. He turned the corner and came upon his gull-winged vehicle, unlocking the doors to and entering it with his automatic remote. Pulling out, and headed for Glenn Park.

Glenn Park was only a fifteen-minute drive from Aprilus. It lay out on the fringes of the city and was actually part of the barrier that separated the residential homes and businesses from the military academy. Zavey hummed to himself as he pulled off the freeway and onto a rural country road that eventually led to the park. He drove slowly along the dirt road until he eventually saw another police car and an ambulance parked by the lakeside. He pulled off the road and right up the lake, putting his car into park and then turning off the ignition. Dearka looked up from the body which was presently bing poked, prodded, and generally examined in a very careful manner by a pair of gloved forensic pathologists, and began walking over to greet his friend. Phil stepped out of his car and walked under the yellow police barrier while Dearka stopped to greet him. "You're right. This isn't a good morning." said Phil to his partner. "Alright, let's cut the artificial hellos and get straight down to business. What are specifics?"

"Hello to you too, sunshine. Okay, male coordinator, about 50 years of age. Found naked, washed up on the shores of the lake. By the looks of it, he's been in the water for a few hours."

"Any identification?"

"None. John Doe. Wait until after the autopsy." replied Dearka.

"Cause of death?"

"Unknown. He's has lesions on various parts of the body and there's some unidentified foam around the rim of his mouth Wait…"

"Until after the autopsy." the pair said in unison. "Any witnesses?"

"Yes, two. They're students from the academy. They've been taken into protective custody."

"Alright. Let's get him down to the lab. I'll oversee, you get back the HQ and start interviewing those two students."

"Alright, see yah there. We'll get a cup of coffee."

"You're buying." Replied Phil somewhat enthusiastically. Dearka walked back over to his car, pulled out and drove off. The other detective walked slowly back to his car and placed his briefcase on the seat. He then turned back and walked over to the crime scene, then stood and looked for a few moments at the body. "Got anymore gloves?" he asked one of the forensic scientists.

"Some over in the back of the ambulance." he replied. Zavey sauntered over and helped himself to a large box marked LATEX GLOVES 150. He grabbed himself a pair and leaned against the truck as he proceeded to slip them on. "Okay," he said as he pulled the second one on and pulled it tight. "Let's get this nasty little business over with."

* * *

The Securitate is Patrick Zala's personal, secret police force. Very much like the Gestapo in Nazi Germany or the KGB in Soviet Russia.

As the war between the coordinators and naturals was on a global scale, it was officially declared the WWIII in CE 78.


	3. Chapter II

Chapter II

When the body had been exhumed from its lakeside grave, Zavey got back into his car and drove down to headquarters of the military police downtown. The building was a large gray brick structure with the lobby made of glass walls and doors. Zavey pulled his car into the parking lot directly outside the front doors and walked leisurely up to the building. An armed guard opened the door and rendered a salute. "Good morning, Colonel Zavey."

"Good morning." he replied as he returned the salute. He walked to the reception desk and looked up at the pretty, chestnut haired receptionist. "Good morning Caryl."

"Good morning, Colonel Zavey." The detective handed the women his ID card. She ran it under a small scanner beside her computer and punched in a few numbers. "All checked in." she said, handing the card back to Phil. "Thanks Caryl. Has Major Elthman checked in yet?"

"Yes, he's over at the coffee bar." she said, pointing over Phil's shoulder. Zavey turned his head to see his friend seated in front of the coffee bar, sipping from a large mug. "Thanks." He turned and was about to walk over before Caryl stopped him. "Oh, Colonel, there's a message for you here." He turned and walked back to the desk, placing his arms on the top. "I know you're new here, but you don't have to call me Colonel. I hate formalities."

"Yes, Colonel." Zavey sighed as the young women looked down and began typing on her computer. "Oh, here it is. General Waldfeld says he'd like to see you as soon as you can." Zavey nodded.

"Thanks." he said before turning and walking over to meet his friend. He sat down next to Dearka and removed his cap, placing it with his briefcase on the seat next to him. "So what's the word with the two witnesses?"

"Well, both of them say the found the body on a morning jog, but didn't see anyone dumping it. I have my doubts about their story though."

"Why's that?" asked Zavey as the barmen brought him a large mug of black coffee.

"Well, they said they found it around 7:00. Now that body was in the lake for a while, but I'm guessing no more than three hours by the time we got there". Dearka paused and took another sip from his mug.

"Go on." urged Phil.

"They came forward around 9:30, meaning that they waited two and a half hours before reporting this. Now if that body is only three hours old, they must have seen it when it was dumped."

"Hmmm, I'll talk to them a bit later. When the analysis gets back from forensics, I need you to start working on the preliminary report." The senior detective hopped down from the stool and gathered his cap and briefcase. "Mind if I take this with me?" he asked the barmen, pointing to his mug.

"No, go ahead."

"So where are you going?" asked Dearka.

"I gotta' go talk to Waltfeld. I'll see you later." Dearka said nothing and simply returned to his mug. Zavey turned and walked towards the elevators.

XXXXXXX

"On behalf of the ZAFT ministry of tourism and Supreme Chairman Zala, it is our greatest pleasure to welcome all of you Aprilius Auxilium, the capital of the Greater ZAFT Empire." Miriallia Haw paid little attention to the speaker at the front of the bus, instead choosing to look out the window at the passing countryside.

"Your visitation here marks a pivotal turning point in the history of our two great governments, as you are the first Natural tourists to be allowed into the capital since before the war. It is our sincerest hope that your visitation will be the beginning of a new era of peace. Supreme chairman Zala says he would like to express his deepest regrets for the violence that occurred during the war, and promises that upon the signing of the treaty between earth and the colonies, he will do his best to forge better relations between Natural and Coordinators."

"You ever been to the colonies?" Miriallia turned to the man sitting next to her. He was about 25, slim with brown hair and purple eyes.

"When I was a teenager, I used to live on Heliopolis." she replied.

"Oh really. My parents both lived here before the war." The man reached out his hand. "Mike Prinz." he said. She reached over and shook his hand somewhat weakly.

"Miriallia Haw." she said.

"Please, the war ended so long ago. The time has come to forget our past aggressions and begin working towards a better tomorrow for both our peoples."

"I hope for our sakes he's being sincere." said Mike quietly under his breath.

"Yeah, so do I." replied Miriallia. She turned her head back to the window and watched a huge placard of the dictator bearing the slogan _Zala Means Peace!_ pass by.

XXXXXXX

Phil walked up to the door marked with Walfeld's name and flashed his ID to the guard. "Ah, go right ahead. General Waltfeld is expecting you." Zavey nodded and opened the door. The general was sitting at his desk his focus on some paperwork. He glanced up and smiled. "Ah, Zavey, come in." Phil complied and walked slowly into the room, having the guard close the door behind him. "Please, sit down."

"Thank you." replied Phil. The detective walked forward sat himself down in a small leather chair in front of the General's desk. Waltfeld reached forward and grabbed a picture from off his desk, then handed it to Phil. "Look at that. That's my son and his new wife. In nine months I'm going to be a grandfather."

"Congratulations General." replied Phil as he examined the picture, then handed it back to its owner. "It's been ten years now since the end of the war, and yet, we still remain in a state of conflict."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Blue Cosmos. It used to be that we would about isolated incidents against the general populace. Then they got bolder and started to attack the military and the government. Now it's full scale war. We should have seen this coming long ago."

"We're making progress with them, aren't we General?"

"Of course…Progress. You mean just like last year? And the year before, and the year before that? And ten years ago?" Zavey nodded. "The Grand Council's word, or should I say, Zala's word does it's best to try and keep the masses calm. We need this alliance with the Earth. If not, the war could drag on for another decade or more."

"Yes sir." replied Phil, a slight smile on his face. He knew that one of the few people he could talk to about Zala freely was the man before him. "That's why I've called you in here. I need you to keep this little murder under wraps for right now. We have reason to believe that it may be in connection with another series of killings, and the last thing we need is mass hysteria over a possible serial killer."

"Yes General."

"Good, I'm glad we had these words. You can get back to your work now."

"Thank you sir." Phil stood up and walked out the door.

XXXXXXX

Ten minutes after his little discussion with the general, Zavey arrived in the forensics lab. The body was sprawled out on an operating table while the pathologist in charge, a man named Sam, was wiping clean some of his tools. Dearka stood to his left, taking down some notes on a clipboard. "We ran a DNA sample through the computer, but we have yet to find a positive match."

"How soon do you think you can find that out?" asked Phil.

"Oh shouldn't take more than an hour. Meanwhile, I'll begin probing for a cause of death."

"Did you find any foreign DNA substances?" inquired Dearka.

"None. Whoever did this must have had some expertise." replied Sam.

"Alright. Dearka, have the students been released yet?" Asked Phil.

"Yes, they said they needed to go back to academy."

"Good. Get me their names. I think I better go pay a visit to them."


	4. Chapter III

Chapter III

Miriallia yawned and stretched as she stepped down off the bus. Their tour group had arrived at their first destination, the ZAFT Museum of Military History. The group followed their tour guide as she led them into the magnificent example of architecture, giving them notes and pointing out the various features of the building. "Hey Mike," said Miriallia, tugging on the man's shoulder. "Mind taking a picture of me in front of the entrance here?" she asked.

"Sure." Miriallia handed the man the camera and she stood with a smile on here face and one hand held out as if showing off the building. "Move a little bit more to the left." he said before the tour guide stepped into the picture.

"Excuse me, but you cannot take a picture with an unregistered camera." Mike slowly lowered the piece of machinery. "What?" he asked.

"All cameras must be registered with the ZAFT ministry of tourism. If you like, I could a license arranged for you."

"That would be wonderful." said Miriallia as she grabbed the camera from Mike, then turned around and ran into an elderly gentlemen. She fell backwards and Mike caught here, while the elderly man had fallen sinto a row of hedges. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry!" said Miriallia.

"It's quite alright. No harm intended." The man up and brushed himself off, then reached down and picked up a large brown envelope. "You must have dropped this." he said, handing the envelope to the young women, then turning and walking off rather quickly.

"No this isn't….mine." She paused and then looked back at Mike.

"I wonder what that was all about?" asked Prinz. Haw looked down at the folder.

"I don't know. I suppose we should go catch up with the rest of the group."

XXXXXXX

Colonel Zavey walked across the large campus of the AA academy towards a large building marked _Main Hall. _He entered the double doors and walked past numerous students and instructors, eventually coming to a door bearing the word _office_. He stepped in and walked up to the desk. "Excuse me." he said. The man at the desk looked up.

"Yes, how may I help you?"

"I'm inspector Zavey with the military police." he said as he flashed his ID and badge. "I need to talk to two of your students."

"Oh, dear. Have they done something wrong?" replied the man pensively.

"No, no. We think they may be witness to a crime."

"Oh good. Do you know their names?" he asked.

"Yes, uh…hold on a moment." said Phil as he reached into his coat pocket and produced a small piece of paper. "Here we are. Ross Jacobson and Andre Bayern." The man at the desk typed their names into his computer.

"Ah, they're in 3rd battalion, so they would be in the field house. I'll phone ahead and tell them you're coming."

"Thank you." Phil turned and walked out the door and back outside. He hadn't been to the academy in many years, but he still remembered where all the major buildings were. The field house was beyond the main offices next to the Alexander dorms. He walked at a quickened pace until he saw the large domed building. Upon entering, he found it was filled with about 30 students in formation, an instructor in front of them calling drill commands. He paused when he saw Zavey walk in. "Jacobson, Faust! Fall out and follow me."

"Yes sir!" the two shouted in reply. Each withdrew from formation and followed their instructor as he walked around the students towards Zavey. "You must be inspector Zavey. I'll take you to a place where you can talk in private."

"Thank you."

"Alright, while I'm gone, Tenkawa is in charge!" he called out. "Follow me." The trio followed him as he led them out of the large room and up a small staircase. They walked up to a long hallway and the instructor led them to a small room at the end which contained a single desk and a few chairs. "Just have them come back down when you're done."

"Sure. This shouldn't take very long anyway." The drill instructor walked out of the room and closed the door. Zavey removed his cap and placed on then desk, then opened his briefcase and pulled out a small pad of paper and a pen. He clicked the pen open and then placed his hands clasped together out in front of him. "So, you two were interviewed by my friend Major Elthman not to long ago?"

"Yeah." Replied Jacobson nervously.

"Don't be nervous, I'm not here to accuse. But…there are some holes in your testimony."

"What do you mean?" asked Bayern.

"Well, you came forward around 9:30, correct?"

"Yeah." replied Bayern.

"Well, that body could not have been in the water more than three hours by the time we arrived. Now you said you found it around 7:00 AM?"

"Yes."

"If that body had been in the lake only three hours, then that would mean it would have had to have been dumped around 7:00, and yet, you claim not to have seen anyone." Both of them said nothing. Zavey could see Faust's hands tapping nervously on the table, while Jacobson was looking at the floor.

"So what? They could have dumped it a little bit before 7:00, you know, just enough time to get away." replied Andre, becoming more defensive.

"You didn't see them fleeing the park?"

"No! We didn't see anyone. All we found was the body." Zavey paused and looked at the two them. "I see." he said as he began to write something on the pad.

"There was someone there." said Jacobson.

"Ross, shut the fuck up!"

"Hey, let him speak." warned Zavey pointing to Andre. "So you did see someone. Do you have any idea of who it might have been?" he asked.

"They were driving away, but I managed to get a good look at his face. It was General Kreuze." The inspector's eyes widened.

"Kreuze, you mean as Rau La Kreuze, the head of the Securitate?"

"Yes, I remember him distinctly. He came to give a lecture to our class not too long ago. I don't think I could ever mistake his face." Phil said nothing as he stared at the two of them. "Inspector? Are you alright?" asked Ross.

Phil shook his head and looked at the two again. "Yes, I'm fine. Uh, thank you for your time. You can return to class now." The pair showed obvious signs of relaxation as they stood up and walked out of the room.

When Phil had returned to his car, he sat silently in the driver's seat, pondering the implications of the pair's testimony. He reached over to the dashboard and punched in a few numbers on the video phone. The image of the receptionist Caryl appeared on the screen. "Hello, inspector Zavey. How can I help you?"

"Hi Caryl. Can you please patch me through to General Waltfeld?" he asked.

"Of course." she began tapping her keyboard, and her image disappeared, being replaced with the smiling face of the General. "Yes Zavey, what is it?"

"I thought you might need to know this general. I just talked to the two students who said they found the body in the park, and they did actually see someone driving away from the scene."

"Alright, and did you find out who?

"One of them says it was Rau La Kreuze driving away." Waltfeld's face turned very serious.

"Kreuze? Zavey, get back here as soon as possible."

* * *

I feel it would be criminal not to mention this. This story is an AU fic based on Robert Harris' wonderful novel _Fatherland._ If you ever get that chance, read it, as it is one of the best alternate history novels I've ever read (and trust me, I've read a lot!) 


	5. Chapter IV

Chapter IV

It started to rain as inspector Zavey walked across the academy campus towards his car. The light drizzle at first reminded him of when he used to stand on the conning tower of the _Titan _and let the ocean breeze spray gently against his face. By the time he was back at HQ on the civilian side of the Plant, however, it had turned into a full downpour. "God bless Plant technology." he muttered to himself as he climbed the steps and entered the building. Lucky for him, he had left his overcoat in his car and so had some protection from the rain. He removed it and shook it out in the entranceway, then placed it under his arm and walked over to the elevators. As he emerged and walked towards General Waltfeld's door, the guard sitting at the desk adjacent stopped him. "General Waltfeld asked me to give you this." The guard reached into his breast pocket and produced a small piece of paper. The detective opened the communiqué and found only two lines written:

norton manor

2:00

"He said for me to give you directions if you needed."

"Yeah, that'd be great." replied Zavey as he folded the paper and stuck it in his briefcase. The guard then handed him another piece of paper before he replaced his cap and walked back towards the elevators.

XXXXXXX

When Miriallia arrived back at hotel room after the lengthy tour of the military museum and later the victory arch, she quickly flopped down on her bed. Her feet ached and her head still hurt from listening to the tour guide rail on about how Zala's brilliant leadership had ultimately won the war. Of course, it was all sugar coated to the appease the tourists, saying that the war is over and they must learn to put their hostilities behind them. She sighed and rolled over, staring up at the ceiling for a few seconds before remembering the envelope. She blinked and rolled over, grabbing her bag. With the clasp undone, she pulled out the envelope, flipped it over and ran her finger beneath flap. She lifted it and reached inside, grabbing hold of what felt like a piece of paper. It was a photograph depicting about 14 men. Some wore ZAFT officer's uniforms, black with red shoulders, while the others wore the distinctive blue council members attire. One man in an officer's uniform had his head circled in red ink. He was too far in the background to have his face made out, but when Miriallia turned the picture over, she found the some writing. It was rough, but she was able to make out the cursive.

General Tenko Rykiel

1984 Klauson Plaza

She raised an eyebrow at it then flopped down onto the bed and rested the photo on her chest. _I'll figure this shit out later_ she thought as she reached out and placed the photo on the nightstand. She sat up and reached down to take off her shoes, then laid back and fell asleep.

XXXXXXX

Zavey pulled his car up to the large estate that laid nestled in some woodlands not too far from Glenn Park. He stepped out and took a look around before approaching the front door and cautiously opening it. He stepped in and saw in front of him a grand staircase. To his left he could see a doorway leading into a dining room. "Ahh, Zavey!" The colonel turned his head to see that the General had appeared at the top of the staircase and was slowly descending. "So you like it?" he asked jokingly.

"I like the scenery, but the decorum must change." replied Zavey as he motioned around the room. "Is it yours?" he asked.

"It is now. The late general Zaccarias Norton left it to us."

"What do you mean by that sir?"

"After you left for the academy, the DNA results came back. The body is that of Zaccarias Norton. Since he has no one else to watch the house, it becomes police property."

"Hmmm." replied Phil. The name sounded familiar, but it was one of those that shrouded in controversy and mystery. He knew that the man had helped in Zala's rise to power, but what he specifically did during the war he knew nothing about.

"You know much about Norton?" asked Waltfeld as he stopped a few feet away from Zavey and leaned back against a credenza with his arms folded.

"No more than you sir." replied Zavey, trying not to sound insolent.

"Well, that's not saying much. Anyway, that's not why I've brought you here," said Waltfeld as he passed Phil and walked into dining room. The inspector followed and saw the general motion for him to sit down. "Here have a seat." he said as he pulled out a chair. Zavey seated himself while the general pulled out another chair at the corner and sat down, tossing his cap and the table.

"What's this about general? You seemed a bit concerned."

"I am. That's why I had us meet out here, I knew the Securitate would leave a man like Norton alone. As of right now only you and I know about Kreuze." Andrew leaned forward and placed his hands clasped out in front of him. "Kreuze may be a fucking phycho, but he's not stupid."

"That I know. He was onboard the Titan for a few weeks during the war."

"Good, then at least you know what you're dealing with. Kreuze can be a dangerous enemy, and the last thing I need is for one of my best officers to be on the receiving end of his malice." Zavey remained silent. "Just be extremely careful with him. You can't afford to have an enemy like him."

Zavey paused for a few seconds, and then slowly began to nod his head. "Yes sir."

"Good. Now, let's see….it's 2:50, and it was suppose to be your day off. Why don't you go home?"

"You're sure sir?"

"Absolutely. Take the rest of the day off, because we'll probably need you tomorrow,and if anything comes up, we'll call you."

"Thank you sir." replied Phil.

The two policemen gathered their caps and walked out of the mansion, each to their respective car. Phil sat in the driver's seat, though, and waited for general Waltfeld to drive away before he turned to his videophone and dialed a few numbers. A message saying please hold appeared and stayed for a few seconds before Dearka's face appeared on the screen. "Oh, Phil, I'm glad to see you, listen, the DNA results…."

"Yeah, Waltfeld told me. Listen, Dearka, I need you to do me a favor."

"Yeah?" replied the blonde haired officer.

"See what kind of information you can get on this Zaccarias Norton. This case has just gotten fucking complicated."

"I'll see what I can do."

"Good, have it sent to my apartment. I've been given the rest of the day off."

"What? But Phil…." The inspector paid no attention as he switched off the videophone and started up the ignition.


	6. Chapter V

Chapter V

Upon reaching his apartment, Zavey slammed the door behind him and leaned back against it, sighing and looking at his watch. "Well that was half a day wasted." he said to himself, "I'll suppose they'll want a report done." he continued as he shook his head and walked forward, putting his cap and briefcase on the kitchen counter. He began loosening his tie and proceeded to take of his coat. As he undid the buttons, he noticed the blinking light on the video phone's answering machine and pressed the review button. "You have: one new message and six old messages." yapped the machine. Phil turned and pulled off his coat, placing on the back of the sofa as the message began to play. _Hi Phil_. The inspector instantly recognized the voice as being that of his ex-wife, Sofie. He stopped for a few seconds, waiting for the message to play out.

_I know this is short notice, but I have to go Avernus 4 until tomorrow, and since it is your vacation, I was wondering if you could watch Nikki. Thanks, I'll drop him off around 4:00. _The message stopped. Zavey walked over and turned off the machine, then looked at his watch again. 3:20. He still had some time before his son would be coming, so he grabbed his coat and walked into bedroom to change.

XXXXXX

Miriallia awoke from her nap and yawned. She turned her head and lazily gazed at the clock. 3:40. She yawned again and then turned to put her legs out on the side of the bed. When her eyes were opened fully, she looked down at the nightstand and saw the photograph. Her memory kicked in as she leaned over and picked it up. She then started to debate whether or not she would go visit this General Rykiel. When she looked out the window and saw that the rain still hadn't cleared up, she went against it. _I'll at least wait until this clears up_ she thought to herself. She flopped back down onto the bed and went back to sleep.

XXXXXX

The doorbell rang just as Phil was pulling a black sweater over his head. He finished putting his left arm in his sleeve and walked over to the door, yawning slightly before opening it. Sofie was standing in front of him, a woman of about 28 with foam green hair and purple eyes. She was holding the hand of their eight year old son, Nikki, for whom she had allowed Phil to name in honor of his deceased friend, Nicol Amalfi, whom he closely resembled. "Hi, Phil."

"Hi Sofie. So, where are you going?"

"I have to go to Avernus. My boss wants me to come with him for the signing of a merger."

"Ah. I see. What's the merger?" he asked.

"The headquarters if ZMI is on Avernus. My boss just agreed to make our company a part of their electronics R and D."

"Well, don't worry about us. We'll take care of ourselves."

"Thanks, Phil." she said. The two hugged, and the Sofie released her grip from her son's hand. "Bye bye Nikki. Be good for your father." She turned and walked down the hall out of the sight before the pair withdrew into Zavey's apartment. "Well, there's a carnival tonight. If the rain clears up, we can go."

"Yeah!" replied his son in the enthusiastic manner of a normal 8-year-old. The police colonel clapped his hands and rubbed them together. "Well, alright then!" he replied.

XXXXXXX

General Waldfeld was alone in his office, looking over a report of a recent terrorist bomb threat that had been handed to him when the door to office swung open. Three men stepped in, each wearing a two piece suit and tie. The general stood up as his secretary (guard) stepped in and got in front of the men and tried to stop them. "Gentlemen, I can't allow you in here without notification." The man in front pushed the guard aside rather ungraciously, nearly causing him to fall over.

"We're here on official business regarding the security of the state. If you continue to impede us, we'll have you arrested for insubordination." The man who had just spoken was roughly Andrew's height with long, golden-blonde hair, and a rather distinctive looking mask that covered only his eyes and nose. Waltfeld stood up. "It's alright, Jack. You can let these men in."

The flustered guard regained his composure and stepped out of the room, giving the men a somewhat bitter look as he closed the door. Waltfeld looked at the intruders, opening one of his desk drawers which contained his pistol. "Please, there's no need for that Andrew." said the blonde-haired man.

"What do you want, Kreuze?" replied Waltfeld, his hand moving slowly away from the drawer.

"Oh it's nothing really. It's just that this whole case involving General Norton has me a little worried."

"Worried? That's not a word I'd expect from you." The two men on the either side of Kreuze stepped out and tried to get on either side the general. "Stay where you are." said the police chief in a rather threatening tone. The two men backed off, but Kreuze stepped forward and placed his hands on the desk.

"Let's talk for a minute."

* * *

ZMI –Zaft Military Industries. The largest, government-owned manufacturer of mobile suits and the leading research and developer of weapons technologies.

I have been on a very long hiatus. Various influences in my life have made it difficult for me to multi-task, I had to prioritize, and I'm not ashamed to say that this had to go down on the list. Not to say it's unimportant, but there was work to be done. Also, my computer has been in the shop.

Any-hoo, things are calming down a bit, so I think it's a bout time to get back into the swing of things.


	7. Chapter VI

Chapter VI

Phil and Nikki watched as bumper cars whizzed by, slamming into one another and them. The ride was nearly over, but they didn't care. They hardly had been paying attention to time since the rain cleared up and they left for the carnival. The cars slowed to a stop and the father and son emerged from their tiny transport, the former staggering a bit trying to regain his composure from the slight headache he had. "C'mon dad!" shouted Nikki as he grabbed Phil's hand and forced him to follow close behind.

"Alright, I'm coming." he reassured the green haired boy. The father-son duo ran towards a large open area surrounded by a series of booths, Phil trying to keep up with his energetic son. The two stopped as they came to a large dining area and Phil motioned them to sit down. "I think we should sit down for a minute, maybe get something warm." An attractive young waitress walked over to them and flipped open her order.

"And what'll you gentlemen be having?" Phil tried to open his mouth, but was cut off as his energetic son opened his. "I want a big piece of cake." he said. Zavey turned and looked at his green haired son.

"Well, what do you say when you want something?"

"Please?"

"That's right. We'll have a piece of cake and ah….one cocoa."

"Alright then." The waitress turned and walked towards a small tent in which was assembled a rather impressive looking kitchen array.

The two didn't stay much longer after their sweets. Nikki and his father wandered about the various curio stands until the green-haired boy spied a rather attractive looking mug that bore the image of the aging Patrick Zala. Phil paid for the item grudgingly, not because he had to buy it, but because he was buying something with Zala's portrait on it. The pair then turned and walked out of the carnival back to the police officer's car.

XXXXXXX

When they had arrived back at Zavey's apartment, Nikki insisted he wasn't tired. The colonel wasn't in the mood to negotiate, so he remained awake as long his son did. The two were presently sitting at the inspector's kitchen table, a multitude of magazines strewn about as well as a notepad on which Phil was scratching out a rough draft of the report for the Norton murder. Nikki was somewhat of an intellectual for an 8-year-old, always having his nose in some books or magazines, trying to make sense of the words. It reminded Phil a little of himself at that age. The police officer was engrossed in his work while Nikki had his attention focused on some random news magazine. "Daddy…" Phil looked up from his paper.

"Yes?" he asked. His son turned around the magazine he was reading and showed him a picture of a boy about his age with brace-crutches that extended up onto his arms. He was slightly hunched and the article title on the opposite page read "Demon's of the past. Genetic disorders and how eugenics is helping deal with them."

"Isn't it cruel to let him live?" he asked. Zavey's eyes widened a bit. He was a bit shocked at what his son had said but not exactly surprised. Ever since the institution of Zala's Eugenics program, it was now taught that genetic abnormalities needed to be "dealt with" humanely.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked, trying to get a further insight into his son's comment.

"Isn't it better if they just put him to sleep?" he asked, quite sincerely.

"Put him to sleep? Nikki, who's been teaching you that rubbish?"

"Lot's of people. Mommy, my teacher, even some of my friends." Zavey leaned back in his chair, closing his pen and breathing in heavily.

"Nikki, have I ever told you the story of the old clockmaker?" asked the colonel.

"No."

"Well, I think I should." Phil leaned forward and placed his arms crossed on the table. He undid the strap of his watch and held it up. "You see, once upon time, long ago, there was an old clock maker, and he lived up on an old hill that overlooked a little village. Now, this clockmaker was over a hundred years old, and hespent all of his time working on his clocks, and he was always hunched over. In fact, he had hunched over so much that he had a great big hump on his back."

Nikki's eyes widened. "Really?" he asked rather amazed.

"Yeah. And this hump was so big, that every time he went down to the village, all the villagers would make fun of him. And they would chase him and away, and he would run back to his house." Phil took a breath.

"Then what happened?" asked his son.

"Well, he locked himself away in his house and he continued to work on his clocks until one day, he was walking around and his nose almost touched the ground. The hump had gotten so big, that it actually weighed him down that much."

"Wow."

"But you see, when he looked at himself in the mirror, he saw that there were tiny white feathers coming out of the hump, and after a few days, the hump had become a pair of beautiful white wings. You see Nikki, he had become an angel. Now there was something wrong with him, but they didn't kill him. You can't kill angels, after-all." The father looked down at his son, who wore a look of seeming awe on his face. Phil then pointed to his watch. "It's time for bed."

XXXXXXX

Nikki didn't last much longer after the story, eventually falling asleep on the couch in the living room. Phil was slightly relieved that he could now get to work on his report. He sat at the computer in his bedroom, his only illumination being a small desk lamp, typing away.

TO: Chief, Department of Perfunctory Investigations, Section S-2

SUBJECT: Zaccarias Norton Death

FROM: Philip E. Zavey, Military Police Colonel5/21/81

The following is a report of the details of the Zaccarias Norton case and what is currently known at this time.

1. At approximately 10:00 AM, I was called with orders to oversee the examination and exhumation of a body found in Glenn Park. The body was found by two students from the military academy, Ross Jacobsen and Andre Bayern.

2. The body was later identified through DNA analysis as being that of General Zaccarias Norton. I have no background information about him at the present time.

3. Preliminary examination of the body suggests the most likely cause of death is drowning sometime around 7:00 AM that morning.

4. The subject lived in a manor home in the York woods near the Park.

5. The circumstances do not appear suspicious and there are no obvious leads at this time.

6. A full autopsy will undertake in the near future.

Phil paused for a second as he looked over the report, thinking about how he was basically lying to the department. Nowhere on the report was there any mention of the witnesses' testimony that indicted La Kreuze. He debated the implications for only a few brief seconds before printing the report out and signing it, the advice of General Waltfeld still floating in his head.


	8. Chapter VII

Chapter VII

"So whatcha' got for me?" asked Phil as he approached Dearka, who was heavily engrossed in his paperwork. The Colonel had startled his fellow officer and Dearka twitched before looking up at his colleague.

"Here." said the blonde haired officer as he reached over to the edge of his desk and picked up a black folder labeled _Norton, Zaccarias H. _Zavey grabbed it from his hand and opened the front cover. "Did you look over?"

"No, I pulled it up pretty late last night."

"Ah." replied Phil. He placed one leg on the edge of Dearka's desk and seated himself. He then began to read aloud the information contained within. "Let's see, General Zaccarias Norton. Early supporter of Zala during the first elections to the Supreme Council…..served as Council Secretary under Zala for eight years until becoming head of the…." Phil paused and looked at the text strangely. "…head of the Committee for Natural Resettlement."

"Ahh," said Dearka. "So he was the one in charge of deporting the naturals."

"It would appear so." What Dearka was speaking of was the natural minority that had lived in the colonies prior to the war. They were a small group, only about two-million, but Zala had had all of them resettled on Earth during the war. "Great, so now we've got some political big-wig on our hands." The colonel read on further. "Forced retirement due to ailing health caused by bronchitis."

A young officer approached the pair and looked at Zavey. "Sir?"

Phil looked up at the young man. "Yes?" he replied.

"General Waltfeld says he wants to talk to you sir." Phil lifted his leg from the desk and closed the report, stuffing it under his arm. "I'll hold onto this for right now." Dearka nodded and returned to his work.

Phil approached the door to Waltfeld's officer with a somewhat laid back feeling. When he stepped in, he was greeted by a sight that seemed odd to him. The general had no paperwork out in front of him, nor was he behind his desk. He was simply leaning back against his desk with his palms resting on the edge. "You wanted to see me sir?" said Phil somewhat weakly.

"Yes." said the general as he raised a finger and pointed it at the now surprised colonel. He walked over past Zavey and closed the door, then stepped over to a large rectangular shaped object covered by a tarp, which Zavey had failed to notice. Waltfeld peeled it off and revealed a large canvas painting of a rather majestic looking man on horseback, his hand raised and his horse standing on hind legs. "Do you know what this is?" he asked. Zavey craned his head a little and said nothing, remembering back to his days at the academy and the arts course he had taken his senior year.

"Napoleon in Egypt, sir?"

"That's right." replied Waltfeld. "Just a small piece of Norton's collection that we found at his home yesterday. Apparently he had a taste for fine art." The general walked back in front of Phil and began to pace. "So, he needs to have it moved someplace safe because the Securitate are catching on. He makes plans to move it to earth, someplace in the United States." Andrew stopped and leaned back against desk again. "But before he can, the Securitate halt his first shipment. He realizes it's too late now, and so to save himself the dishonor of being labeled a common thief, he drowns himself." He smiled as he watched it sink into Zavey's mind.

Zavey jerked his jaw a little to the side. "Sir, I was just reading this report." Phil withdrew the folder from under his arm. "According to this, Norton had bronchitis. Now, it doesn't make much sense to me why a 70-something year old retired ZAFT General with such an ailment would walk a mile, naked, to a small lake, in the rain, just to kill himself." The general's smile dissipated as he approached Phil and stood to one side.

"Listen, Phil. This case has been declared state security, and is being handled by the Securitate. This is our official conclusion, and I don't want you looking any further into it. You can't afford to have an enemy like La Kreuze….or me."

XXXXXXX

Miriallia approached the front door of the apartment building that occupied 1984 Klauson Plaza and banged the knocker a few times. When no one came, she turned to the doorbell and rang it. A few moments later, a tall, dark haired man in a suit and trench-coat opened the door just enough for him to peek out at the brown-haired women.

"Hello. I'm here to see General Rykiel?" replied Ms. Haw weakly. The man's expression did not change. He opened door all the way and ushered her in. "General Rykiel is in apartment 5B on the third floor."

"Thank you." Miriallia turned and walked towards the elevators. When she stepped in and turned around, she was unnerved to see the way the man was still looking at her. She shrugged it off when she stepped out of the sliding doors and began walking down the hallway towards 5B. She knocked on the door and waited. There was no reply. She knocked again and spoke this time. "Hello? General Rykiel?" she said. When there was still no reply, she tried the door, finding that it was unlocked. She cautiously stepped in and looked around at the luxurious apartment. There was a complete breakfast tray, completely untouched. Miri found this odd, but continued to look around. "General Rykiel?" she called again as she slowly opened the door to what she thought was the bedroom. Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped when she was greeted with the sight of a naked elderly man and younger red-headed woman, both lying pale on the bed with bullet holes in them. The man had a pistol clutched in tightly in his hands. Ms. Haw couldn't bring herself to scream, but as she staggered back, she knocked over the breakfast tray, alerting the tenants next door.

XXXXXXX

When Phil sat back down at his desk, he leaned back in his chair, his mouth open slightly and his left hand rubbing his chin. He loosened his tie a little and then leaned forward and placed reached for a pen from the cup on the corner. _Fuck it_ he thought. _If the state wants to deal with it, let em.' _He sighed and then began searching his drawers for a pad of paper. Dearka approached his desk and sat on the corner. "Hey Phil, the OF just brought in a woman who says she found two bodies in some apartment building downtown. You want to take her?"

Phil stood up and straightened his tie. "Yeah, I'll take her." He then began walking towards the elevators.

"Wait!" yelled Dearka. "Where's the file?" Zavey said nothing and simply pointed in the direction of Waltfeld's office.

XXXXXXX

Miri rocked back and forth in her chair, making a creaking sound that somewhat annoyed the officer in charge of her. She was looking at a newspaper, on the front page of which was a huge headline ATTHA ARRIVES IN TOMORROW. "It's good news." said Miriallia. The guard looked up. "About the meeting with the Prime Minister." The guard said nothing and returned to her paper. A few minutes later, Phil walked in through the door.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." he said. The guard stood up and left. "This should only take a few minutes."

"Alright." She replied.

"Now, why did you want to see this General Rykiel?"

"He was an early supporter of Zala, and my editor wanted to get his reaction on the visit from the Prime Minister."

"I see. And when were you suppose to go and visit him."

"Around 11:00."

"I see…now tell me something else. Why are you lying to me?"

* * *

OF- Orderly Force. The ZAFT military police are broken down into three branches:

At the bottom is the OF. These are the regular cops on the street. They arrest the drunkards, write the speeding tickets, and nab the pickpockets.

Above the OF is the CF or Criminal Force. These are the uniformed detectives who investigate murders, robberies, arson, etc. This would be the branch Colonel Zavey is a part of.

At the top is the Securitate. They handle all cases of sedition, terrorism, and anything that is declared state security. Because they do not have great manpower, the Securitate often employ the OF and CF to carry out their orders.


	9. Chapter VIII

Chapter VIII

Miriallia looked at Zavey with a rather shocked look. "Excuse me?" she said.

"In your statement you said that you were interviewing Rykiel to get his reaction to the Zala-Attha meeting. You also said that there was going to be a press-conference with Rykiel and the rest of the journalists at 9:00, correct?"

"Yes. I fail to see what you're getting at, Mr. Zavey."

"You were around his apartment at about 8:50. Ten minutes is not a lot of time for an interview, especially considering your hotel is about twenty minutes away." Miriallia opened her mouth, but no words came out. She closed it and looked down at the ground. "Just as I thought." Miri reached down into her bag and brought in up onto her lap. She began to fumble around in the front pocket until she brought out the picture and handed it to Zavey.

"What's this?" he asked as he grabbed it from her hand and examined it.

"That's the reason why I went down there. Someone gave me this at the War Museum. Look at the back." Phil turned it over read the text.

"Do you know who it was who gave it to you?"

"Not a clue. Just some old man."

"Hmmm." The inspector paused before standing up. "Why don't we go back to that apartment." he said.

"Why?" she asked.

"There's just something I want to take a look at."

XXXXXXX

When the pair arrived back at the apartment building, Miriallia stuck close to the Colonel. He flashed his badge to the man at the desk. "Inspector Zavey, Military Police. I need the key to apartment 5B."

"I'm sorry sir, but the Securitate has sealed that room." Zavey looked smugly at the clerk, not changing his expression.

"The key." he said in a low tone. The clerk's face turned somewhat fearful before he turned to retrieve the key. Phil smiled as he grabbed it from him. "Thank you for your cooperation." The two turned and walked towards the elevators.

"That's not the same man who was there when I first came." Zavey raised his eyebrow.

"He wasn't?" Miriallia nodded her head. When they reached the apartment, Phil reached into his pocket for his knife, but relented when he saw there was no sticker on the door. He slid the key into the lock, and then ushered her in. When they were both in, he closed the door and walked over to the window. "Listen, I want you to leave tonight."

Miriallia looked surprised. "Leave? I can't leave."

"You'll have to. I don't care how late the flight is, I just want you on the next Shuttle back to Earth. This case is much bigger involves elements much bigger than you and me, and I don't want the Securitate after you." The chestnut haired women tried to raise her voice in protest, but was cut off as Phil twitched. "Oh shit." he said.

"What is it?" Phil ran over and grabbed her by the arm.

"They're here." he said. The two dashed out the door and down the hall towards the elevators.

"Who? The Securitate?" she asked.

"Yes." The two came to the main elevator but stopped as they approached it. "Wait!" Phil had looked up and seen the numbers changing. "No, use the other one at the end of the hall. Meet me outside, and hurry the fuck up!" He stopped at the door of the apartment after he had made sure that Miriallia was safely in the elevator, then went to work, carefully pasting the sticker back on. He then turned and began walking down the hall, pulling a small flask from his coat pocket, and uncapping it.

"You!" someone called out behind him. Zavey turned rather non-chalantly and looked behind. "What're you doing here?"

"Me?" he said in mock surprise. "I just wanted a nice drink in a quiet place." The man did not change their expression. "And I couldn't think of a quieter place than this." Just as he finished, the elevator doors opened and another man stepped out, this one being the man who had had met Miriallia the first time she had come to the apartment building.

"You're in over your head, Zavey." said the man behind him.

"Not quiet yet." he retorted. The colonel capped his flask and walked into the elevator.

"Peter rabbit would be wise to stay out of Mr. McGregor's garden." said the second man as he stepped out of the elevator. Phil stopped.

"Gentlemen." he said before turning around and bowing. "I bid you adieu." The inspector turned and walked back down the hall, deciding to take the stairs instead.

XXXXXXX

Miri got a ride back to her hotel from Phil. While she was in the car, he made sure that she used his computer to pull up a flight leaving early in the morning. She had finished packing her first suitcase under a feeling of great protest when a knock came at her door. It was a courier with a large bouquet of flowers. "Someone left these for you Ma'am." Miri grabbed them from the boy who also held a letter in his hand. "There was also this for you." he said as he handed it to her. "Shall I call you a cab, Ma'am." Miriallia didn't respond as she opened the envelope and unfolded the message.

Lesseps Station. Platform 9, 1:30 AM.

"Ma'am?"

"Yes, call for a cab." Miri folded the message, which she noticed was in the same handwriting as the message on the back of the photograph, and put it in her pocket, then collected her bag and quickly headed for the lobby.

When she arrived at the station, it seemed busy to her, especially considering that it was one-thirty-in-the-morning. She had an uneasy feeling as she stood on the edge of the platform and watched the train coming in. As the people filed out, she felt the heavy touch of a hand on her shoulder. She was startled and turned to see that it belonged to the old man whom she had received the envelope from.

"Ms. Haw?" he said.

"Yes?" she replied.

"I'm glad you came. Come with me." The two boarded the train and sat at the back in one of the corner seats.

"Who the hell are you?" she asked.

"My name Colbretti. General Markus Colbretti, and I need your help. I wish to seek asylum on Earth." Miriallia looked puzzled.

"Why do you want that, and what do I have to do with it?"

"Because I have a terrible secret that needs to be told, and when it gets out, I will be targeted. Thousands have been killed to keep it. I need you to arrange asylum for two people, me and my wife." The chestnut haired women look changed from one of puzzlement to concern.

"What is it? What's this secret?" she asked.

"I can't tell you right now." Markus was about to speak further when he stopped and looked over out the window. There was a police officer looking in the window. The train started up and the officer followed it, shouting something as it gained speed.

XXXXXXX

On the other side of town, Phil and Dearka were in former's patrol car, cruising back to headquarters. Zavey had insisted that his friend come drive his car because he had a bit too much to drink, but in reality was just too tired to drive. They had were about ten minutes out from the apartment complex when a face appeared on the screen of the video-phone. It was a dispatcher. "Attention all units, attention all units," he said. "Markus Colbretti, suspected art-smuggler and accomplice of General Tenko Rykiel last seen headed for von Braun station. All units please respond." The dispatcher disappeared and was replaced by a picture of the suspect with adjoining information. Phil rose from his slouched position and looked over the info.

"For what? A 65-year old art thief?"

"Not our job to ask questions." replied Dearka as he flipped on the sirens.

"Speak for yourself." said Phil as he un-holstered his pistol and pulled back the slide. Major Elthman pulled a u-turn and started racing towards the station.

XXXXXXX

There were more people at von Braun station than Lesseps, something which seemed to put Colbretti in a state of easiness. He scanned back and forth then stepped forward with Miriallia following close behind. He stopped then scanned the area again, this time his face changing to apprehension. Markus reached into his pocket and drew a pistol. "I'm sorry. I have to run." Markus took off and began running towards one of the stairwells.

"Stop!" Miri turned to see a group of six police officers running off after him. On the other end of the stairwell, Phil and Dearka had just arrived. Markus stopped when he saw the two and began firing, one of his shots making his way into Dearka's shoulder. The officer lurched back and fell against the concrete steps before Phil fired his only reply shot, which hit the General squarely in his chest. The old man staggered back and dropped to his knees then fell forward and hit the ground. By now, the six other police officers had caught up and two had run up the stairs upon seeing the condition of Phil's partner.

"I'll be fine. Just stitch me up and put me in a fucking cast." said Dearka. Phil smiled at his friend, ever the sarcastic one. He then turned and trotted down the stairs to inspect the damage. When he arrived at the bottom, though, he saw Miriallia running towards the scene, and immediately began running to intercept her. He managed to catch her before she could get within ten feet of the scene.

"What the hell are you still doing here?" he demanded as he took her by the arm and led up another stairwell towards the main entrance and approached his patrol car.

"I came at the request of that man you shot down there."

"Get in the car." ordered Phil in an angry tone. Miri didn't argue and simply stepped inside the vehicle. "Now, when we get back to headquarters and they question you, I suggest you keep your answers short, sweet, and to the point. And try telling the truth for once. You might have better luck."

"What?"

"I'm placing you under arrest. You'll be in protective custody until this whole mess is cleared up. Then, I'm taking you myself where you should have gone this morning, the airport!"

* * *

Other Characters

Some people who have reviewed my story want to know what's happened to some of the other main characters of the series. Well, here's a brief overview of their lives in the alternate universe.

Yzak Jule: After briefly serving as military governor of the occupied United States, Yzak returned to his normal duties in the military, eventually becoming a trainer for new Gundam pilots.

Athrun Zala: Choosing to remain in the military and wash his hands completely of politics, Athrun focused on using his technical skills for military applications, eventually gaining commissioned officer status and a job in the Technological R&D wing of ZAFT military intelligence.

Lacus Clyne: With ZAFT victorious in the war, Lacus fled the colonies and sought asylum in Moscow with the neutral Eurasian Federation. She was later assassinated by men working for Patrick Zala.

Kira Yamato: After the assignation of Lacus Clyne, Kira fell into a depression and declined an offer to act as defense minister in his sister's administration. He was later hospitalized after trying to commit suicide.

Murrue Ramius: After the withdrawl of Alliance troops from North America, Murrue remained in the military for another year before leaving to pursue her law degree. She became a lawyer specializing in juvenile law, and fought for age restrictions to be put in the Earth Alliance military.

Natarle Badgiruel: Natarle asked for a transfer to the military intelligence section of Alliance military. She was granted her request and soon began working for the POW debriefing unit. Eventually, she married Lt. Mu La Flaga.


	10. Chapter IX

Chapter IX

"Now wait a damn minute!" shouted Miriallia before Phil could put the key in the ignition.

"What?" replied the clearly aggravated inspector.

"That man down there must have known Rykiel. He was the one who gave me the photograph." Phil turned to the woman and dropped his hand from the ignition. "Colbretti told me that he had a secret he needed to tell, and that if he did, he would be targeted. He wanted me to help arrange asylum for him on earth."

"Yes?"

"I'm guessing that Rykiel must've known what this secret was as well. He was the one was in the photograph, wasn't he?" Zavey brought his hand to his chin and scratched it. "Listen, Colbretti said he had a wife. Maybe if we find her, she can tell us." Phil nodded his head.

"Alright, but once we do, you get out of here, understand?" Miri nodded. "Okay, let's go."

XXXXXXX

Krueze stared bullets at general Waltfeld from across the room. The two were alone in the room, and Rau clearly had the upper hand. "We needed Colbtretti alive." he said.

"What did you want my men to do? They were being fired on."

"We're going to have to do something drastic."

"And what would you suggest, sir?" asked Andrew in a clearly mocking tone. Kreuze walked over to Waltfeld's desk and began to finger a small pewter skull that sat next to the man's family pictures.

"Well, I'm sure by now your man Zavey knows more than he should. Let's make sure he can't find out anymore."

XXXXXXXX

It was five-in-the-morning. Phil found himself driving Dearka back to his apartment (his wound being rather minor, but still requiring some quick surgery and a sling), with Miriallia in the backseat. "So," said Dearka, breaking the awkward silence. "You're from Earth Ms. Haw?"

"Yes." she replied.

"Where exactly on Earth?" he further inquired.

"I lived in New York for a little while, until a little before the war. I left to go to college on Heliopolis."

"New York? Phil here saw much of New York during the war…through a periscope."

"That is until the victory parade through Times-Square." said the would-be chauffer.

"Zavey here hunted convoys in the Atlantic from beneath the waves."

"So you were on a submarine?"

"That's right. The Zaft submersible vessel Titan" he replied.

"You know those convoys sometimes carried innocent people." said the Brunette woman.

"Innocent people," he retorted. "As I recall, your attack on the nation of Orb killed more than 7,000 people."

"That wasn't the alliance. That was Murata Azrael."

"And it WAS the Earth Alliance that put that lunatic in a position where he could do it."

"Well you threatened to use nuclear weapons against the United States."

"And you did use them against Junius 7." That remark effectively ended the conversation. The trio sat in the car for another ten minutes until they finally came to Dearka's apartment and dropped him off. Miri got out and hopped into the front seat. "Listen, Phil, I'm sorry about…"

"It's okay." he interrupted. "Let's not open old wounds. The war's over. We're supposed to be friends, right?" She smiled and so did he in reply. Phil got back on the road and continued to drive, passing the hotel she was staying at on the way.

"What're you doing?" she asked anxiously.

"It's too dangerous to leave you at your hotel. You'll sleep at my apartment tonight." The two exited the vehicle and made their to the policeman's apartment.

XXXXXXXX

When morning came, Phil arose to find the journalist asleep on the couch. He didn't bother waking her and instead went downstairs and out to his car. He pressed the direct line button that put him through to the department and waited. "Colonel Zavey, how are you this morning." It was Caryl, the receptionist.

"I'm fine Caryl. Can you put me through to Martin Dacosta the evidence and data recovery office?"

"Yes, right away." The screen blanked, showing the ZAFT police shield before it opened to Martin's face.

"Zavey! I haven't seen you in ages. Where have you been?" he asked

"Not important right now. There's something I need you to do for me." Dacosta expression turned rather grim. "What?" asked the inspector in a tone mixed with tiredness and irritation.

"Well, it's just that…you're not exactly one to be friends with right now, Phil." Phil rubbed his eyes and crossed his arms. He sighed. "I understand what you mean, but I need this file." Dacosta nodded his head and reached forward towards the screen. "No! Wait!" Martin hesitated and brought his hand back. "I was hoping it wouldn't have to come to this, but I'm afraid you leave me no choice."

"Go on."

"Martin, if your superiors were to look through your catalog of inventory, they might come across certain discrepancies, including the absence of some illegal pornography." Martin didn't speak and Phil raised his eyebrow.

"You're not one for this world, Phil."

"Call me when you get the fucking file. I'll pick it up outside the station." the Colonel said before he turned off the screen. There was a tapping at the window. Phil looked over to see Miriallia, then opened the door and swung his legs over to the curb.

"What's going on?" she asked.

"I just got some information on this Colbretti." He stepped out of the car. "Let's go back upstairs."

XXXXXXXX

It was around five o'clock when Martin phoned. "You have no idea what I had to go through to get this. I don't anything more to do with it." he told Phil when he gave him the file.

"It's alright. You've already done enough." reassured Phil. He drove Miriallia downtown and parked the car outside a restaurant called _Deighton's Cafe_. The two opened the file and began to rifle through the papers. "Look at this." said Phil. "It says that he was also a member of the Natural Resettlement Committee along. Last year, he received a letter asking for his retirement. In Norton's file, it said he was forcibly retired due to Bronchitis, but also received the same letter."

"What do you bet Rykiel also received one?" asked Miriallia. "Here," she said, holding up a picture of a middle-aged woman with short, silver hair. "This is his wife, Ezaria Jule. All we have to do is find her."

"Shouldn't be too hard. She was a member of the supreme council, you can probably find her on my computer." Miriallia pulled the keyboard out. "Just type her name into that search-bar and it should be able to find her address." The journalist began typing and eventually brought up a picture of the woman with accompanying information. "That's her. 1610 Harbor Way."

XXXXXXX

"So this is where she is. Classy place." commented Miri as she looked at the upscale apartment. The woman opened the door. "You stay here, I'll go talk to her."

"Yes ma'am." replied Phil Jokingly. Miriallia walked into the building and up to the front desk. After finding out the woman lived on the penthouse on the top floor, she got into the elevator and made her way up. The doors to the penthouse were blue and white with gold gilding and were somewhat ostentatious to the natural woman. She knocked quietly at the door and waited. It opened slightly and a silver-haired woman looked out between the cracks

"Who are you? Where is Markus?" she asked.

"He sent me to come get you."

"He told me that if anyone but him came, I should destroy them."

"Ahh… he told me you would say something like that, but you see I've arranged asylum for you two." The hostile woman opened the door further and then turned and walked over to a small dresser.

"That's good. We can't spend much more time here you know."

"I know. He said that you were going to be targeted."

"Yes, it's unfortunate." Miriallia opened her mouth but didn't speak right away. She licked her lips then paused for a few seconds.

"Why would you be targeted?" she asked. The woman turned around and looked at the curious Journalist.

"Because we know what happened to the naturals." Miriallia turned her slightly to one side indicating puzzlement.

"What do you mean? What naturals?"

"The ones that lived here in the colonies." The journalist looked even more puzzled.

"You mean the ones that were sent to Earth. They were resettled weren't they?"

"Yes, they were resettled," Ezaria pointed on finger upwards. "In the air."

* * *

After the war was lost, Azrael began to lose power within the Earth Alliance. In a last, desperate attempt to hold onto it, he launched an unauthorized attack against theOrb Union. This was the event that triggered his removal from the Alliance and the beginning of his decade-long war against ZAFT with the forces he still controlled. 


	11. Chapter X

Chapter X

"What do you mean 'in the air'?" inquired Miriallia.

"Well, when they arrived on earth, Zala had long been… preparing for them." The woman turned back to the dresser and began closing a small suitcase. "There were a number of compounds they were sent to."

"Compounds?" Ezaria turned and walked over to sit on the couch.

"You may wish to sit." she said. Mirillia did exactly that. "They were more like death camps I should say. They were sent there to be exterminated." Miri's mouth dropped slowly but she could find no words. "At first, they used a bullet each, but it became too costly with the war. So Zala had his men find more cost effective ways of doing it, and eventually, they figured that it would be easier to work the strong ones until they dropped, then gassed the weak ones. Zala needed those 2 million bullets for his war." Miriallia began to shake slightly as Ezaria continued to talk. "And then, they burned the bodies. Thus, they became smoke, and were resettled in the air."

"They…killed all the naturals?"

"Well, the naturals at first, but later on, they did the same with the lunatics, the deformed, the cripples, the half-breeds." She opened a drawer on her dresser and removed from it a large parcel, handing it Miriallia. "I was removed from the council for attempting to speak against it, but I managed to hold onto these. Take them." Again, the silver-haired woman turned and packed some more things. "Will there be a cab coming?" she asked.

"Y…yes." stuttered Miriallia as she started to back out the door. "Than…thank you." she said as she left the penthouse and made her way back down to the street. Phil watched as she ran passed the car and into an adjacent park. He quickly got out and gave chase.

"Miri! Miri, where the hell are you going?" he shouted as she continued to run, eventually coming to rest on a park bench. "Miriallia, what the hell has gotten into you?"

"They killed all the naturals." she said as she opened the package and began to rifle through the photos.

"What?"

"They killed all the naturals. Zavey, Patrick Zala had all the naturals in the colonies killed."

"That's bullshit. They were resettled on earth." he replied as she handed him some pictures.

"Look at these Phil." He cringed as he looked at the first one which depicted a mound of half-starved corpses. The inspector continued to look through them. "What are these?" he asked disgustedly.

"They're photographs from the death camps."

"What death camps?"

"The death camps on earth. Zala had the naturals deported so he could send them there to be exterminated." Phil's face changed from one of surprise and puzzlement to horror and denial.

"These…no. These must be fake."

"Why would anyone fake them Phil?" The colonel didn't respond as he continued to flip through the ghastly collection of scenes. "Publicity, a good story?" Miri grabbed a piece of paper. "Look at these. They were deported on shuttles to Earth. Sixty people to a shuttle, one-hundred shuttles leaving per day. That's six-thousand people every day." Zavey sat down on the bench and began to stare blankly.

"I served murderers all my life." he said to himself.

"Zavey what's Cyclosarin?" He nodded his head weakly.

"I…I don't know." Miriallia continued to read on. "It's gas. Zavey look at this. They gassed all the naturals, then burned the bodies." Phil slumped down onto the bench.

"How could this happen? We always thought they had been deported. I always knew he lied, but never like this." The brunette woman turned to the clearly shaken man who slowly moved his head and looked at her. "Miri. If your Prime Minister knew about this, would she still meet with Zala?"

"I don't know."

"Listen to me Miri. You have to get these to Attha before she signs the treaty. She has to know about this." Phil slowly turned his head away from the woman. "What will I tell my son? How can I tell him that this wasn't some glorious struggle for survival? " The journalist took Zavey's head and hugged it to her body.

"You didn't do this Phil. You didn't even know. He doesn't have to know yet." She released his head and he looked up at her. "I'll try to make it safe for you and him to come to earth with me." she said before turning and walking out of the park. The policeman still sat on the bench, a vacant look on his face and a tear slowly rolling down his cheek.

"How do I tell him it was a war of annhilation?"

* * *

Half-breeds. After finding the cure for impotence among third generation coordinators, it became illegal for any coordinator to engage in sexual activity with a natural. A half-breed is the offspring of a coordinator-natural union. 


	12. Chapter XI

Chapter XI

Phil looked down at his watch. 7:30. Prime Minister Attha was supposed to arrive in half-an-hour. He reached down to turn on the radio, but hesitated as he saw his ex-wife's car pull up. She got out of the and took Nikki with her, not noticing Phil's patrol car around the corner of the opposite street. He sat and waited for another ten or so minutes before he brought out his cell phone and dialed her house number. He then waited patiently as it rang.

"Hello?" she said.

"Sofie? It's Phil."

"Oh, hi Phil. What's going on?"

"Nothing, there's just something I need to talk to you about. Can you come meet me at Café' News?" he asked.

"Why can't you come over here?"

"It's just, I'd rather not have us argue in front of Nikki."

"I see. Alright, I'll be there in a few minutes." She hung up the phone and grabbed her coat. "Nikki!" she called upstairs. "I'm going out for a little while. Don't answer the door or the phone, alright?"

"Okay, mom!" shouted the youngster in reply. The woman walked out the door and began to make her way towards the sidewalk. Phil watched from his car as she placed the key in the mailbox, then made sure she was safely out of sight down the street. He then got out of his vehicle and made his to the house, grabbing the key and opening the door.

"Son? Nikki?" The colonel listened as he heard the sound feet pattering across the upstairs hallway and stop.

"Daddy!" called out the green-haired boy from the top of the stairs. He dashed down as Phil knelt down and hugged him.

"Hello son." he said as he moved Nikki away and looked over him. The boy was dressed in his ZAFT youth uniform, basically a less intricate variation of the standard green tunic. "How are you doing?"

"I'm okay."

"That's good. Now listen, Nikki, I'm going to ask you to make a very grown up decision. Do you think you can do that?" The young boy nodded his head. "Okay. Do you want to Earth with me?"

"What about mama?"

"She can't know right now, but we can tell her later we get there. Now if you want to go, you have to tell me right now." The young Zavey hesitated at first, then nodded his head up and down. "Okay. Let's go upstairs and pack."

XXXXXXX

The crowd outside the Supreme Council Chambers has swelled to about 25,000, and Miriallia found herself trying to stay on the fringes of it. She ran to where a set of bleachers had been erected and tried to get up into the stand, but was stopped by a green-uniformed guard. "I'm sorry miss, but this is for members of the press only."

"Oh, I'm with the press, I just lost my ID."

"I'm sorry, I cannot allow you in without an ID."

"Is there a problem here?" asked a mysterious, yet familiar voice. The chestnut-haired journalist turned to see the tour-guide she had met on her first day in Aprilius.

"This woman says she's with the press but she has no ID."

"We're sorry miss, but you're not allowed in the grandstand without an Identification card."

"But you know me. I was with your tour group. Miriallia, the last name's Haw." she said anxiously. The tour guide cocked her head slightly then looked over at the guard's list. She lifted a few pages before stopping then turning back to the woman.

"Ah yes, Ms. Haw. Please go right ahead." Miriallia smiled as she passed behind the guard and made her way up into the stands. As she did, the sound of police sirens began blaring. She turned and looked down from the seats to see a car driving up the red-carpeted avenue with four police motorcycles on either corner. A group of four armed guards in red uniforms stood on either side of the vehicle, halting as the car came to a stop. Miri watched as one of the guards opened the side door, and Patrick Zala stepped out. The anthem of the plants, _Homeland, My Homeland,_ began to play, and the crowd exploded into a frenzy as he made his way, escorted, to the speaking platform in front of him. Zala turned to the crowd and raised his right hand in a salute.

"Hail!" he shouted

"Victory!" responded the crowd.

"Hail!"

"Victory!"

"Hail!"

"Victory!" The audience cheered and clapped as the chairman smiled and waved to them. They then began to quiet down as voice came over the loud speaker system.

"Attention, ladies and gentlemen. We have just received word that Prime Minister's Attha's shuttle, Unitas I, has just touched down at Gagarin National Airport." Again the crowd began to cheer and clap. All around, they waved tiny flags of Earth Alliance Blue and Zaft Green. Miriallia paused and looked down the avenue leading to the council chambers, then turned back to the grandstand. "Mike!" she shouted as she saw the man she had met on the tour sitting down.

"Miriallia!" he yelled in reply. She rushed over to him and pushed the package against him. "Miri, what's going on?"

"Mike, I need your help."

XXXXXXX

Nikki was staring out the window into the street below, as his father walked in through the door and saw there was an open suitcase on the bed. He walked forward and began opening some of Nikki's drawers, removing clothes and placing them inside. He then closed it and bent down to place his hand on his son's shoulder. "Whatcha' looking at?"

"Nothing, daddy." Phil recognized the blandness in the boy's voice as being far from his usual self.

"Nikki, what's wrong?" he asked, turning the boy and looking at him.

"I…I don't know if I want to leave." The Colonel hugged the boy.

"It's alright. I know it's hard, but you'll like it there. We'll have a nice house by the ocean. We can have a dog, and maybe even a boat." He released the boy and looked at him again, seeing his expression still hadn't changed. "Is something still wrong?"

"It's just…the Securitate daddy, they said you're sick." Phil's eye's widened. "They said they want to help you." The older Zavey's head shot towards the window as he heard the sound of a car pulling up.

"No! They've lied to you Nikki!" he shouted as he looked down to see three men emerge from a black car, one of whom he recognized to be Rau La Kreuze. He turned and picked up his son under the arms. "Now listen Nikki. You're a big boy. You have to start thinking for yourself and stop letting other people tell you what to do." He kissed his son on the forehead and set him down on the bed. "Stay here." he commanded as he un-holstered his pistol and stepped outside the room, waiting at the top of the stairs. He kneeled down and pointed his weapon at the front door waiting until the it opened. It was the man from the hotel. The agent barely had time to look before Zavey emptied a few rounds into him. The colonel waited a few moments before trotting down the stairs and checking the body. A shot rang out and pierced the policeman's thigh, causing him to yell and lurch forward in pain. He remained motionless as his would-be assassin came out of the dining room and stood over him. Almost instantly, Phil turned over and fired off a few more rounds from both his and the dead man's pistol. One of them struck the second assailant in the head, causing to rear back and blood to splatter against the ceiling. Phil brought himself to his feet and staggered out the front door into the night. A figure ran around from the backyard and turned to the inspector, shooting at him and hitting him in the right arm. Again he screamed before swinging his left arm around and emptying the rest of his magazine, six shots, into the man. He dropped, and it took a moment to register in Phil's brain that the man he had just killed was Rau La Kreuze. He paid little to it, though, as he turned around and began to limp down the sidewalk.

XXXXXXX

"Jesus Christ." said Mike as he bundled the pictures and began to run down the stand towards the avenue with Miriallia close behind. The way was blocked by guards holding ZAFT banners. Mike struggled to get his through, stopping only he saw a black car with Earth Alliance flags pull up. Four more motorcycles positioned themselves on each corner and Bodyguards in Alliance uniforms, including one he recognized to be the Earth Ambassador, began trotting next to it as the car began picking up speed. Over the speakers came the Earth Alliance anthem, _O' Faded Banner of Blue_. He watched as the car came closer and closer, and began shouting. "Mr. Ambassador!" he yelled as he broke through the human barrier. "Mr. Ambassador! You have to get these to the Prime Minister!". One of the bodyguards drew his pistol, but was stopped by the man Mike was shouting to. "Mr. Ambassador, you have to get these to the Prime Minister. Please, you must make sure she sees these right now." Mike watched as the ambassador nodded and opened the door to the car. Together, he and Cagalli opened the parcel and began looking at the photos. When Miriallia saw that Mike had done this, she turned and made her way out.


	13. Chapter XII

Chapter XII

Phil hobbled down the sidewalk, his steps becoming more and more erratic. Eventually he fell over, then slowly brought his head up and looked in front of him. There was a small alcove that led to the front door a building. He crawled into it and propped himself up against the wall, then reached into his coat and withdrew from it a cell phone partially covered in blood. He dialed Sofie's number and listened as it rang. "Please, please, pick up." he said quietly to himself. On the other end of line, Nikki slowly picked up the phone and put it to his ear. "Nikki, are you there?" he asked weakly.

"Daddy? Where are you daddy?"

"Just listen Nikki." He paused. "It wasn't your fault what happened." Phil was starting to get lightheaded. "I love you son. You gotta' to grow your own wings." He felt his eyes growing heavier.

"Daddy? Daddy?" said Nikki nervously. Phil's hand slid to the ground as his breathing became more and more scarce.

"Gotta grow your own wings." He reached down and lopped up the blood on his thigh with his hand. Slowly, his eyelids fell and covered his eyes.

"I love you too, daddy."

XXXXXXXX

Mike watched from the outside of the car as Cagalli and the Ambassador rifled through the photos. The prime minister brought her hand to her mouth in shock as she continued to look through them. When they found the report with the information about the deportations, she dropped her hand and revealed her mouth to be agape. All the while, Patrick Zala looked down from the platform with a look of uncertainty but tried to remain confident. Finally, the Prime Minister looked up and tapped her driver on the shoulder. He immediately turned the car around and sped down the avenue, the police motorcycles and bodyguards trailing close behind. "Attention, ladies and gentlemen." said a voice over the speakers. "Due to Blue Cosmos bomb threats, these celebrations are hereby cancelled. Prime minister Attha will returning to earth and takes with her the best wishes of the Plants and their people."

"Jesus." said Mike as he removed his hat and wiped some sweat from his brow. He turned around to see where Miriallia was, only to find she had disappeared.

XXXXXXXX

Not too far from the Supreme Council Chambers was the same park where Miriallia and Phil had first looked through the evidence of the genocide. She sat down on a bench and began to catch her breath, looking around for any signs of the inspector. She was alone in the park, and she was alone still when the rain began to fall. She would be alone all through the night as she sat and waited, and waited, and waited…


	14. Epilogue

Epilogue

_A brief excerpt from the memoirs of Nicol Zavey_

I could never truly understand why Miriallia didn't get out when she still had the chance, but her and my father were the first people to know the truth, the first to see those images of horror, and that bound them together forever. And so, she sat and waited in the park until the Securitate came and took her away.

Everything has changed now. Without the alliance with the Earth, Zala's Empire collapsed. The years since then have not been easy, but the people have survived, and we have rebuilt. Murata Azrael and Blue Cosmos are now just memories fading into the history books. ZAFT has changed, and Zala's blanket of ignorance no longer shields our eyes from the truth. I'm sure my father would be proud to know that we are no longer in the house of the blind.

It has been said that all boys want to follow in the footsteps of their fathers. I don't know if that's true, but I know that I would certainly be proud to follow mine.


	15. Dedication

"I do believe, with all my heart,  
In the natural Goodness of Man.  
Despite the blood and destruction,  
Brought by one man, trying to be God,  
In the Goodness of Man, I do believe..." -Creed of the Holocaust Survivor

Dedicated to the victims of the Holocaust. Though generations pass, your eternal flame shall burn brightly as a symbol of hope for victims around the world.


End file.
